The 2008 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report (2008 Integrated Report) includes the 2008 Integrated List of Waters (Integrated List) and the 2008 List of Water Quality Limited Waters (303(d) List). The 2008 Integrated Report identifies the extent to which waters of the State are attaining designated uses pursuant to Section 305(b) of the federal Clean Water Act (Act) and also identifies waters that do not attain designated uses because they exceed New Jersey surface water quality standards and require the development of Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to meet those standards, pursuant to Section 303(d) of the Act. The 2008 Integrated Report also identifies waters that were identified as not meeting designated uses on the 2006 303(d) List but are now meeting surface water quality standards and attaining designated uses. All current and historic water quality assessment documents, as well as relevant U.S. Environmental Protection AGency (USEPA) guidance, are available under Technical Support and Related Documents. Additional information about the Integrated Report Process is available under General Information.

Current Status of the 2008 Integrated Report

The final 2008 Integrated Report, the final 2008 Integrated List, and the final 2008 303(d) List were approved by USEPA on August 13, 2009. The final 2008 303(d) List was adopted by the Department on October 8, 2009 as an amendment to the Statewide Water Quality Management Plan Amendment. A notice of adoption of the 2008 303(d) List was published in the New Jersey Register on November 16, 2009.

Designated uses were fully attained* in 37 out of 480 fully assessed subwatersheds, compared to 24 out of 241 in 2006.

87 subwatershed/pollutant combinations were delisted from the 2006 303(d) List of Water Quality Limited Waters as a result of water quality improvement/restoration, TMDL development, revisions to surface water quality standards, or other reasons.

Overall, known water quality and use attainment did not change significantly between the 2006 and 2008. Generally, subwatersheds that do not attain more than one designated use are located in urban/developed areas of the State while subwatersheds that attain all applicable designated uses are located in the Pinelands and other less developed areas of the State.

None of the subwatersheds assessed for the fish consumption use attained the use because of fish consumption advisories restricting consumption of certain species contaminated with toxic chemical that persist in the aquatic environment, such as PCBs, mercury, and certain pesticides.

65% of 169 applicable subwatersheds attained the shellfish harvest for consumption use. Since 2002, shellfish waters approved for unrestricted harvest increased by 7,000 acres, indicating an improving trend in water quality in New Jersey’s estuaries.

19% of 970 subwatersheds attained the recreation use; however, all of the State’s ocean beaches from Sandy Hook to Cape May Point are fully swimmable, i.e., they attain the primary contact recreational use, with the exception of two beaches in Spring Lake, Monmouth County, that are particularly affected by the impact of excessive rainfall on discharge from Wreck Pond and are subject to precautionary closures after heavy rainfall.

For more information, please contact the Bureau of Water Quality Standards and Assessment at (609) 777-1753.

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